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A* Pour Toi's Curated and Personalized Gift Experience

by Lauren Salkeld

on 05/01/13 at 08:58 AM

When a* pour toi founder and CEO Julie Hasson was a young girl attending boarding school in France, her mother sent her beautiful, personalized care packages and once Hasson was older and traveling the world for work, she began curating and sending her own gift boxes to family and friends. It was these highly personal and relationship-building gift experiences that inspired Hasson to launch a* pour toi, which means a* present for you, with the asterisk referring to the part of yourself that you hope to share through the act of gift giving.

Hasson describes a* pour toi as "French by taste, but American dedicated." She works with a U.S.-based French chef to create some of the items, including truffles, nougat, and fudge. The rest of the delicacies are selected through extensive tasting and to date Hasson has tasted more than 3,000 items. While some pieces are imported, Hasson hopes to produce or acquire most of the food in the U.S. This is partly to encourage local entrepreneurship and employment, but also to limit a* pour toi's environmental impact. Hasson's eco-friendly goals are also why she uses sleek, compact boxes, reusable pouches, and minimal packing materials.

The a* pour toi collection features a variety of different gift options, including tea and coffee, chocolate, delicatessen, fruit, and an all-pink "love" theme. Lactose-, sugar-, and gluten-free options are also available under the *freedom designation. Boxes can be ordered individually or as monthly gifts. And to help you personalize your box, a* pour toi provides space for a 250-word message (long by gift basket standards) and the option to upload a photo to be printed and sent with your gift (for an additional $5). Remember, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12.

The editorial team devoured our a* pour toi sample gift, enjoying each and every last crumb. But there were a few favorites. The raspberry fudge is seductively smooth and buttery with bright berry flavor that melts into the creamy almost caramel-like fudge. Saint Aubert Palets Bretons were unlike any packaged cookie we've ever tasted, and we'll be hard pressed to find another butter cookie that compares. We were also delighted to see a yogurt-dipped version of an Epicurious favorite, Almondina biscuits.

For more on a* pour toi, and to browse their gift options, visit apourtoi.com.